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Oregon Sports News 2014 March Madness Wrap-Up

March Madness concluded this week with the UConn Huskies defeating the Kentucky Wildcats to bring home the 2014 title. We asked our roundtable crew to reflect on this year’s champs, discuss their favorite moments of the tournament, which players shined, thoughts on the one-and-done rule, and much, much more.

1. Shabazz Napier of UConn is the clear MVP of this year’s tournament, and should be selected early in the first round of the NBA draft. What other players helped or hurt their draft stock in the Final Four and championship games?

(CM) Julius Randle, Frank Kaminsky, and Patric Young were all outplayed by the opposing bigs in the final games of their respective 2014 seasons. That probably won’t hurt Randle as he had an otherwise spectacular tournament and GM’s have been salivating over his ability all season long. Kaminsky did not finish strong and may want to consider returning for his senior year, but one could argue that he’s ready now and that his great performance against Baylor and in the tournament overall, outweighs his struggling against Kentucky. Young had respectable numbers in his final game but probably didn’t do enough to prove he deserves to be on the first round bubble. He’s a high energy and strong front court player though, so despite his underwhelming tournament numbers, he should be a steal for the right team if he slips to the second round, and the Miami Heat still looks like the best possible fit.

(RC) One player in particular hurt their draft stock in the Final Four: Scottie Wilbekin of Florida. He was the leader of the Gators, and his performance against UConn could not have been worse. 2-of-9 shooting, four points, and three turnovers in 34 minutes on the biggest possible stage is inexcusable. Credit has to be given to the Huskies for their oppressive defense, but Napier outplayed Wilbekin to a scary degree on both ends of the floor.

(GT) I think that both of the Harrison brothers really helped their draft stock. They came out of high school with so much hype and potential and being on the big stage reminded everyone why they were so coveted as recruits. So much poise and control out of both of them.

(JH) No player has increased their value more than Shabazz Napier. He showcased tremendous ball control and court vision. He also showed his ability carry the offensive load as well as he averaged over 20 PPG during the tournament. Frank Kaminsky had a solid few games, but he wasn’t able to do much in the Final Four matchup against Kentucky. I still think that Kaminsky could be a first round draft pick if he declares for the draft. Kentucky has had their fair share of first round picks in the past few drafts (12 players over the past 4 years). After their performances in this year’s tournament, I don’t expect that to change. Julius Randle is a top-5 pick, with the potential of being number 1. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these other guys from Kentucky have their names called in the first round on draft night: James Young, the Harrison twins (Aaron and Andrew), Willie Cauley-Stein, and Alex Poythress.

(GI) You’ve got to be impressed by Aaron Harrison. I know that some stats guys don’t believe that there really is such a thing as being “clutch,” but Aaron has to seriously throw that into doubt. I’ll bring out every cliché: ice water in the veins, cool as the other side of pillow… whatever, they all apply to Harrison. Hitting three game winning shots in a big moment. That said, he’ll still be better off, in my opinion, staying at Kentucky and developing some more, but he is definitely in the discussion of being drafted again.

2. Stellar play by guards and forwards propelled both teams to the championship game, and only one of the Final Four teams (Kentucky) had a traditional center in their starting lineup. With many teams throughout the nation (including Oregon) appearing to favor smaller lineups, is college basketball transitioning away from the center position, or is it merely a lack of gifted big men?

(CM) It really depends on the system in place. Some coaches do seem to prefer smaller lineups, and may not even be heavily recruiting the elite big men, as a taller and heavier player could slow down the team on the court. Depending on how good the guards and forwards are, you don’t necessarily need a traditional center to win a title even when your opposition starts one, as UConn just demonstrated. Supply is not the same as demand however, and some schools don’t have access to an elite 6’10”+ 18 year old somewhere in the nation or the world that is interested in playing for their school. Had Joel Embiid or Dakari Johnson been interested in playing for the Beavers or Ducks this season, I have my doubts that Craig Robinson or Dana Altman would have objected.

(RC) Honestly, it is probably just a lack of players at that size range. People over six foot four are rare enough, so it stands to reason that finding players six foot ten or higher in any given year are going to be fairly low. Combine that with many big players do not have the top-tier Division I skills, and coaches have to work with what they are given.

(GT) This is an epidemic across the entire game of basketball. Look no further than right here in Portland. Meyers Leonard has the body, talent and athleticism to be an elite big man but instead of putting in the time doing the dirty work, he wants to practice his 3 point shot. No one wants to work hard on the block so there are a lot of big men with wasted talent across college basketball and the NBA.

(JH) Part of it is that there is a shortage of talent at the center position. That shortage has forced teams to lean towards smaller lineups. Kentucky seems to always find the talent at that position. If the talent was there, more teams would be right there with them. But it’s not. The other part of it is that these smaller lineups work for the college game. A lot of colleges run with 3 guards and 2 forwards, or 2 guards and 3 forwards. So many colleges play zone defense, so these smaller lineups benefit them in offensive sets, providing them with more shooting and versatility.

(GI) I have to side with a lack of gifted big men at the very highest level. Something they say about the NFL is that it is a copycat league. In reality, almost every sport falls into this category. When we see incredible guard play and smaller lineups succeed, other teams tend to follow suit. When we get the next dominating big man on a national level, we’ll probably see that pendulum swing yet again.

3. It’s fair to say that Shabazz Napier benefited from staying at school all four years, and is clearly NBA ready. While it is true that every player’s situation and ability is unique, are you a believer in the “one-and-done” world of today’s NCAA, or do you favor staying at school and developing?

(CM) Every situation is different, but it really boils down to skill and maturity. If you already have the refined skill and maturity to compete in the NBA and were never intending to get your degree, I don’t know what 2-3 years of amateur athletics will get you other than potential pitfalls that could lead to less lucrative offers. You could be spending those 2-3 “growing pains” years in the NBA, adapting your game to the pro level while earning a paycheck, but there will be very high expectations and pressure attached to that, a lot to ask of the average 18-19 year old. It’s a very important decision that each player must make for themselves and get input on it from the people in their inner circles that truly have their best interests at heart. Kevin Durant only played his freshman year at Texas, Tim Duncan played four years at Wake Forest, and LeBron James went from high school to the NBA. It would be nearly impossible to argue that any of them made the wrong choice, and all three will be in the Hall Of Fame one day. For comparison, Greg Oden left Ohio State after his freshman year, Brandon Roy played four years at Washington, and Martell Webster went from high school to the NBA. And not one of those players are going to the HOF. There’s an argument that can be made for any situation, and every situation and the decision regarding that situation is different, there is no “cover-all”.

(RC) I go in the extreme in one direction: remove the one-and-done rule. Let players jump straight to the pros out of high school if they wish. It seems absurd that at the age of 18, we allow people to possess and discharge a firearm, operate a motor vehicle, vote for the president, and fight and die for their country, but not get to pick an arbitrary career path. The one-and-done rule was not done for the sake of young players. It was done in a similar fashion to the “amnesty” rule: to save NBA executives from themselves. To stop them from drafting a player who is not ready based on high school mix tapes and hype. If a player feels they are ready, let them try. Let those who want to hone their craft go to college, and stop wasting scholarships on players who do not want to be there.

(GT) This really is a case-by-case basis. Shabazz Napier is a different player and has a completely different skill set than Jabari Parker. I have a hard time arbitrarily telling a kid he has no other choice than to go to school for at least a year. If I had a lucrative job offer straight out of high school I wouldn’t wanna go through the motions at college for a year. But putting in the time definitely benefited Napier and RipCity favorite Damian Lillard.

(JH) I’m not a fan of the “one-and-done” world. Of course there are players out there that fit the mold of an NBA ready player, but most of these kids need to stay in college. It is beginning to hurt the NBA game. The whole one-and-done thing is becoming the norm these days. Until the NBA Development League evolves, then players should be required to stay in school longer. The MLB has a great system for young potential superstars, the NBA does not. In the NBA, if a player leaves early, but isn’t quite NBA ready, they sit buried on the bench until they are. Going for assignment to the D-League are pointless. I see so many NBA bench warmers go there for stints of just a few games, score 20+ ppg and return to their team and ride the pine. The D-League is still a work in progress. At least put an extra requirement on it… If you are selected to the first, second, or third All-American team as a freshmen, then you are free to make the jump to the NBA.

(GI) I favor the MLB’s relationship with college sports. Go into the draft right after high school if you are truly gifted enough or you have to stay in college for a minimum of three years. Development, both in basketball and in other life skills, can be critical to success in the NBA and I’d rather see players stay in school and develop, both for the NBA and for NCAA basketball.

4. UConn became the first 7 seed to play in the championship game and overcame incredible odds just to get to the title game, let alone winning it. Would you place this year’s champions in the same company as 1985 Villanova and 1983 North Carolina State, considered by many to be the most impressive and shocking title runs in NCAA tournament history?

(CM) They had a great run, but we’re lying if we’re saying that Kentucky was comparable to the seemingly unbeatable juggernauts of Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown team or the Hakeem Olajuwon/Clyde Drexler “Phi Slamma Jamma” Houston team. UConn deserves and earned their title, and their run was special and a surprise, but not spectacular enough to put them in the class of the most shocking underdog champions in tournament history.

(RC) I would not. Nothing against the Huskies, but the competition this year is more watered down than we have seen it in quite some time. The Gators were the top overall seed, but hardly unbeatable. In 1985, Georgetown and Patrick Ewing were as close to unbeatable as you can come. In 1983, the Houston Cougars with Drexler and Olajuwon were a similarly powerful team, and that year also featured a terrifying North Carolina squad coming off its 1982 title. There is no team in the tournament this year that comes close to either the Hoyas or the Cougars.

(GT) Not being in existence during the ’83 or ’85 tournaments makes it hard for me to compare but there’s no question this UConn run was special. Special? Absolutely. Completely out of nowhere? I don’t think so. This team just won it three years ago and came into the season angry from the NCAA ban. It was a fun run to watch but not a “Cinderella” story.

(JH) You have to put them in that class. This was an incredible run. As I pointed out last week, it took UConn an overtime victory just to get past their first opponent in the tournament. They make one more mistake late in that fourth quarter and this would have gone the other way. There were so many upsets this year that the attention wasn’t fully on them like it may have been for Villanova and North Carolina State during their respective title runs, but looking back at it you can’t help but to admire their courage and commitment to the game of basketball. Their title run will be remembered for quite some time.

(GI) I’ll admit to being at a disadvantage here. I wasn’t alive for either of those two tournaments so I don’t have a good idea of what those tournaments felt like. I’ll say that this felt like a truly insane tournament and I think I would’ve picked about 10-15 other teams (or even more) to win before I got down to UConn. To me, it has to fit into the top three biggest tournament surprises in history.

5. What is your favorite moment from this year’s tournament?

(CM) The matchup of Dayton and Stanford in the Sweet 16. This game should have been next to impossible to take place, as both teams had to get past pretty overwhelming odds just to get out of the first round, let alone past Kansas and Syracuse in the round of 32. It was even better than 2011 Butler-VCU, as both were surprise teams this time around and had to prove that they belonged in this tournament and get past some “blue-blood” schools just to earn the right to battle each other for a shot at another top contender. Underdog vs Underdog matchups will always create great tournament memories.

(RC) Watching the sheer joy on the faces of the players for the Mercer Bears and the North Dakota State Bison. No one expected them to put up even a little resistance to Oklahoma and Duke, but they stunned the world and gave themselves a moment they will remember for the rest of their lives.

(GT) My favorite moment would have to be Dayton beating Ohio State. That was a case of little brother want in it more than big brother. Dayton was fun to watch and played team basketball. What made it even sweeter was that I called that upset.

(JH) The fact that both teams in the national championship were seeded so low is my favorite. In no other championship game have two teams not been a top-3 seed. A 7 seed versus an 8 seed had never happened before. That was a great game to watch. The talent level of the two teams was definitely higher than what their seeding told us. I love March Madness and everything about it. The blood, sweat, and tears put in by these players is all worth the watch. I can’t wait until next year.

In closing, I want to say this to all student athletes with dreams of playing division-1 basketball: PRACTICE YOUR FREE-THROWS!

(GI) Hands down… Mercer guard Kevin Canevari’s impromptu dance after his team beat Duke. Respect for some moves on national television.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.